comdemnation

comdemnation:

Springfield, Ohio is a city that has suffered like much of the rust belt over the last 40 years. The downtown area is full of old industrial, commercial and even churches that have been empty for decades. Some are for sale, some have been converted to derelict warehouses, and some like this building have been condemned by the city. To me they are a symbol of the better times that started to slip away in the seventies until they have become as scarce as the jobs that disappeared with them.

While I love these old vacant or semi-abandoned buildings for their photographic qualities, I suppose that seeing them torn down might not be entirely bad. From some of the heaps of rubble, the city is seeing recovery in the form of a new hospital and an ice skating rink. Springfield is not going to rise from its ashes like a victorious phoenix. However, we might just come out a little better off than we were before. I suppose that makes me an optimist.